Penholder



(No Model.)

H. S. RUMFIELD. PBNHOLDBR.

No. 566,623. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

UNITED SrnfrEs PATENT EErcE.

lllRAM S. RUMFIELD, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

PENHOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,623, dated August25, 1895.

Application filed January 30, 1896. Serial Nol 577,343. (No model.)

To all whom t i12/ty concern:

Be it known that l, Hman S. RUMFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake, in the State ofUtah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Penholders,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciiieation,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof,and in which- Figure lis a view of my improved penliolder as in use.Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. et isa crosssection taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a viewshowin gthe several parts detached.

The object of my invention is to provide a penholder which will permitthe free movement of thumb and fingers in writing by forming the holderwith a longitudinally-yielding spring-pressed upper statt-section, theouter end et' which bears against the fleshy portion of the hand at thebase of the thumb and foreinger, so that the penholder-sections willreciprocate longitudinally,one on the other, in the act of writing.Moreover, as the lingers of diierent persons vary in length a furtherobject is to render the upper sliding section adjustable.

In the drawings, B represents the tubular openen ded body of the staffor holder, having its upper end reduced to form an internal annularshoulder b and provided on its interior with a lug or projection l1. Ais the upper section of the staff, having a free sliding movementthrough the upper contracted end of the body and provided at its outerend with a knob or head A', adapted to rest rmly against the ileshyportion of the hand at the base of the thumb and foreiinger, as shown inFig. l. The sliding section A is screwthreaded and split at its innerend and screws into an internally-threaded sleeve A2, sliding freelywithin the body B. This sleeve A2 is forced upwardly by a spiral springD, which bears against its lower end, and the upper end of the sleeve A2engages the shoulder t and prevents the spring :from pressing thesliding section A out of the body B. The seetion A may be adjustedlongitudinally, however, by screwing it in or out, as may be desired. Inorder that the sleeve A2 may not rotate when the section A is rotated,said sleeve is provided with a longitudinal slot or groove a, whichreceives the lug 0r proj cction b' above referred to.

E represents the pen-socket, of any suitable construction, tted into thelower end of the body B, and against the inner end of which the lowerend of the spring D bears. ln the present construction the inner end otthis pensocket is externally threaded and is screwed into the lowerinternally-thrcaded end of the body B.

The parts are assembled as follows: The sleeve Af2 is first insertedinto the body B through the lower end thereof withV the slot uregistering with lug or projection h', then the spring D is entered,then the pen-socket E is screwed in place, and iinally the upperstaffsection A is passed through the upper end of the body and screwedinto the sleeve. The person using the penholder will screw the section Ain or out till the proper adjustment is effected, and the split portionof the said section, by its tendency to spring apart, will hold itagainst accidental rotation in the sleeve A2, and thus the adjustmentwill be preserved.

The penholder is grasped near the pensocket between the thumb and firsttwo iingers, just as in the ordinary penholders, but the upper end ofthe holder will rest, as before described, against the fleshy portion ofthe hand at base of the forelinger and thumb, and the holder-sectionswill slide in and out or reciprocate as the lingers and thumb are movedduring the act of writing.

The advantages of the above construction are as follows: All strain isremoved from the muscles of the thumb and iin gers, except for thepurpose of forming the letters. In the use of the ordinary penholder, ascommonly held an d supported, there is a constant strain on the musclesof the thumb, whether writing or not, and that part of the penholderwhich extends beyond the foreiinger or knuckle is altogether useless.Hence in the use of my penholder there is less fatigue to the thumb,lingers, and hand, and consequently less liability to writers paralysisor cramp. lt will be found far better for nervous persons. After one hasbecome used to the change in inode of use the greater ease with whichwriting can be done will be quite evident. It can be used forback-hanchyertical, or angular Writing with equal facility. In adjustingthe holder to the iingers care should be had to get it just the rightlength, so that the point of the pen Will touch the paper about an. inchbeyond. the end of the forefinger, and when thus adjusted much greaterfreedom of motionwill be afforded than With the old penholders.V InWriting, the llinger movement alone, theforearm movement, or aCombination of both, may be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A penholder com prisin g a tubular body, a sleeve sliding in the bodyand pressed upwardly by a r inpringg and an upper sliding section,entendi ig through the upper end of the body, adj us ably connected withsaid sleeve and `adapte( when the holder is in use to bear and be pre'sed by said spring against the iieshy par of the hand at the base ofthe thumb an foreiinger, substantially as set forth. l"

2. A penholder, comprising a tubular body, contracted at its upper openend, to form a shoulder, a springpressed sleeve sliding in the body andpressed against the said shoulder, a tongue-and-groove connectionbetween said sleeve and body, and an upper body or staff sectionextending through said contracted upper end and screwed adjustably intosaid sleeve, the upper end of said sliding section, when the holder isin use being pressed against the fleshy part of the hand at the base ofthe thumb and forefinger, substantially as set forth.

3. A penholder, comprising the tubular body, the spring therein, theinternallythreaded sleeve pressed upwardly in the body by said spring,and the upper body or staii: section sliding through the upper end ofthe body and having a split, externallythreaded lower end, screwed into.said sleeve, the upper .end or head of the said sliding section, whenthe holder is in use, being pressed by the spring against the iieshypart of the hand at the base of the thumb and forefinger, substantiallyas set forth.

I'IIRAM S. RUMFIELD.

lVitnesses I-I. H. KINsMAN, J. STANDROD.

